PRODUCER MUNEYUKI KII LAUNCHES NEW JAPANESE FILM ECOSYSTEM – K2 PICTURES WITH A FUND FOR JAPANESE ANIMATED AND LIVE-ACTION FEATURES

K2P to partner on films from Hirokazu Kore-eda, Shunji Iwai, Takashi Miike, Miwa Nishikawa, Kazuya Shiraishi and MAPPA

Leading Japanese Producer Muneyuki Kii, a former Head Producer at Toei has launched a new film company based on his experience in all aspects of production – K2 Pictures. The company aims to create a new funding ecosystem for Japanese films to enrich local productions by returning profits traditionally accruing to film companies to both investors and creators, and it will also produce projects with emerging and established creators. Additionally, as part of the initiative, K2 Pictures is launching a new content fund – K2P Film Fund I – which will provide support for Japanese features across both animation and live-action and will enable investors, creators and crew members to profit from the Japanese film industry. The Fund is aiming to collaborate with from investors in Japan, Asia, the US and globally.

K2P will collaborate with leading Japanese directors and creators which K2P will partner with on a slate of upcoming projects that include Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters) who is part of the official Cannes competition Jury; Shunji Iwai, who directed Love Letter, which was a massive hit in South Korea and China, as well as in Japan; Miwa Nishikawa, who wrote and directed the original screenplay Sway, which was officially selected for the Directors’ Fortnight; Takashi Miike (13 Assassins), a leading director who has been invited to various film festivals worldwide; Kazuya Shiraishi (The Devil’s Path), a director whose work is always some of the Japanese industry’s most highly anticipated, who turns out works in a wide range of genres including yakuza films, historical dramas, suspense, and special effects; and MAPPA, one of Japan’s top animation studios whose titles include JUJUTSU KAISEN 0, and series such as “Chainsaw Man” and “Attack on Titan.”

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Creator Comment
・Shunji Iwai
If it is something that Muneyuki Kii wants to do, I will definitely support him. That is my simple reason for taking part in this project.
As a producer, he is extremely reliable.
It is as if there is no locked door that he can’t open.
Working with him is a pleasure incomparable to anything else. I think it is because he has the power to believe in people.
In every era, there are always maverick innovators who rewrite history.
This time, he created a new journey for us.
K2 Pictures.
It is just like a car or a ship. It also can be an airplane or a submarine.
If we climb a mountain, it can turn into a pair of ice axes and crampons.
This adaptability will be the strength of K2 Pictures.
With such a team, even filmmakers can work hard.
I would like to repay this favor by contributing all the ideas I can think of.
I wonder what adventures are waiting for us.
What kind of team will it be in the next 10 years?
I can’t wait to see how everything turns out.

・Hirokazu Kore-eda
I have been making films for 30 years, and I was in the process of searching for ways to solve my doubts and concerns about the traditional way of making films, until I met the challenge of Mr. Kii and his team. If this challenge succeeds, a good wind will blow in the film industry and opportunities will open up for new talents. I sympathized with the passion to make such a future into reality, and I am glad to be a part of this project.
I am excited for our collaboration.

・Kazuya Shiraishi
I sincerely applaud K2 Pictures for their brave start and hope they will bring a revolution to the Japanese film industry and break the invisible walls. Please expect to see projects that have never been possible in Japanese film before, and the creation of outstanding and unique talents. I would also like to work alongside them to create films that will astonish the world.

・Miwa Nishikawa
While pursuing my career in the Japanese film industry, I somehow felt more like I was hanging on to a dead-end rope than confidence or hope. I was afraid to make films anymore.
So I turned my back on “film” and wrote stories that would never be welcomed by film companies or investors.
Then, a man named Kii-san told me that K2 Pictures, the company he had started, would fund it with new investments and make it into a movie. I wondered if he was serious.
Moreover, he said that he was opening the door to opportunities for creative projects by young filmmakers. Instead of sticking with the idea of playing it safe, I thought K2 Pictures’ challenge to create opportunities for new people and new things in an environment with sufficient funding was worth taking on board.
In some ways, K2 Picture’s fund and new distribution system seemed like a risky venture. In fact, it may not be an easy thing to do. But that’s filmmaking, and if I’m going to make a film, I want to work with a team willing to be adventurous. If there is a possibility that this will become a new opportunity for filmmakers in Japan in the future, then that’s even better.

・MAPPA
I have participated in this project because I want to support K2 Pictures in their challenge.
As an animation studio, we will do our best to think about what we can do as a partner in the film production.

・Takashi Miike
K2Pictures.　And about a mysterious man called Kii.

Kii = Honest Subversive.
I see him as very powerful. And I think the energy comes from his kindness.
“Let’s make more interesting films and be happier.”
I feel such a simple message in his smile.
This is why I believe in “K2 pictures”.
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To mark the launch of the company and Fund, K2 Pictures will host a presentation during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival which will take place at the JW Marriott on Saturday 18th May at 12:45pm and include Miwa Nishikawa and Takashi Miike.

The K2P Film Fund I is designed with a unique structure to mitigate the risks associated with content investment, by facilitating the secure attraction of capital to the traditionally exclusive Japanese content market. For the fund, K2 Pictures has worked with one of the leading law firms in Japan and an accounting firm that specializes in the entertainment field to develop a fund contract for investment to facilitate the participation and profit of domestic and foreign companies that have an interest in Japanese content. Furthermore, by launching this fund, K2 Pictures also plans to focus on success fees for creators and staff, with the goal of making the Japanese film industry more active and profitable in the global marketplace.

As the fund manager, K2 Pictures brings formidable knowledge and commitment to the fund, with the three key personnel at K2 Pictures—Muneyuki Kii, Tetsuro Koda, and Fred Schmidt—offering knowledge and experience that spans the creative, business, and financial sectors.

Muneyuki Kii, Founder and CEO at K2 Pictures, said: “Through the launch of K2 Pictures, we’re aiming to bring a major revolution to the Japanese film industry, while also giving new domestic and overseas investors the chance to enter this flourishing industry. It’s clear there is growing interest in Japanese-related content around the world, so we are committed to making our local film industry more active, fairer and profitable in the global marketplace, while also building a robust content pipeline that promises to captivate audiences.

Our new fund will also stand as a beacon for innovation, combining risk mitigation strategies with a commitment to artistic excellence – and with our seasoned and highly experienced leadership team – we are positioned to make a significant impact on the global film landscape.”

Muneyuki Kii first started his career at Toei in 1995 at one of the company’s movie theaters and gained film sales experience, before moving on to production and distribution roles – making him a unique producer with experience in planning, production, distribution, and box office. Teaming with creators in different genres, he has produced works in such fields as animation, horror, yakuza, music, action, and romance. Key highlights from his filmography include: Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012/Hideaki Anno), The Blood of Wolves series (2018, 2021/Kazuya Shiraishi), First Love (2020/Takashi Miike), Howling Village series (2020, 2021, 2022/Takashi Shimizu), Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.01 Thrice Upon a Time (2021/Hideaki Anno), The First Slam Dunk (2022/Takehiko Inoue), Shin Kamen Rider (2023/Hideaki Anno) and Kyrie (2023/Shunji Iwai).

Alongside Muneyuki Kii, the K2 Pictures senior leadership team includes Tetsuro Koda and Fred Schmidt. As a co-founder of Akatsuki, Koda brings experience in the marketization process and the film business, as well as a deep understanding of games, publishing, and commercialization. Fred is Chairman of Asia of BentallGreenOak and has established and managed a number of funds and developed connections with both Japanese and foreign investors, creating many opportunities to interact with foreign players who are interested in the creative and animation industries in Japan.